Infiniti Q60 essentials: Looks like a work of art, steers like a video game

Infiniti's coupe is one of the best-looking cars on the road, but the drive-by-wire steering is still flawed

January 11, 2018

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What is it: The Infiniti Q60 received a major redesign for 2017 and has some of the nicest lines we've seen on a coupe in a long time. If you're not familiar with the name, that's because it used to be the G35 (then G37) before Infiniti decided to add a Q to its entire lineup. A choice of 2.0-liter or 3.0-liter turbo engines is available, all the way up to the 400-hp Red Sport 400 model.

Highlights: Our Infiniti Q60 30T is powered by a stout 300-hp version of Infiniti's 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6, backed by a seven-speed automatic transmission and a steer-by-wire system that we’re not totally sold on.

Our Opinion: This car is gorgeous. I think I said it about the Q60 Red Sport, but I’ll say it again: It looks super-slippery even with a little snubbiness at the nose. The rear, too -- holy smokes it looks good. It helps that the profile doesn’t include Infiniti’s standard backward C-pillar look like the SUVs and crossovers. It’s one of the best-looking cars on the road, full stop.

This mid-trim powertrain is good, too. It doesn’t blow your socks off like the Red Sport, but it has plenty of git. And it sounds great, too. I pushed it to redline a few times and was seriously impressed. Throttle tip-in is smooth. I didn’t find my head jerking back at every light, and the brakes have good bite and a short but softer stroke.

The seven-speed automatic shifts at an average speed. I’m a little surprised Infiniti didn’t put paddle shifters on the wheel, though. This Q60 seems like a perfect place for them. Also, the auto stick is improperly in the down-is-downshift format instead of the opposite way.

The interior is properly luxurious, if not up to Mercedes standards, but everything feels soft and expensive. I love the seats, too, but there’s something weird about them. The back of my head hits the edge of the headrest, instead of the middle. Maybe my spine is crooked.

The double-screen infotainment works well with the nav on top and everything else below. Having the navigation available while messing with the radio is something most manufacturers don’t do, but should. The lower screen looks great too with a thick piece of glass making it flush with the dashboard. The back seats are tiny, so don’t expect a family of four to fit in this car unless the kids are very small.

Now, on to Infiniti’s 800-pound gorilla, the steering. It is so, SO isolated from the road. It has way less feedback than my video-game wheel -- it has less feedback than an old Camry. The turning weight and ratio are good, mid-heavy and quick, but like the last one I drove, I went full blast over a big bump around a turn and I had no sense of it in the wheel. You might be saying, “This is an Infiniti, it’s supposed to be luxury and isolated.” But this is the Q60, the company’s sportiest and best-looking car by a mile. If anything should have a little feedback, it’s this one.